RadiciGroup at 51th Dornbirn Man Made Fibres Congress - 19-21 September 2012. "Evolution yarns : r-Starlight in Recycled Polyester and Cornleaf in PLA".

1. Evolution yarns :
r-Starlight in Recycled Polyester and
Cornleaf in PLA
Roberto Parenzan
R&D Manager PET Yarns

2. RadiciGroup
RadiciGroup is one of the most active chemicals companies at an international level. Its
diversified businesses operate worldwide and are focused on Chemicals, Plastics
and Synthetic Fibres.
The Group has total control over its production chain, from chemical intermediates,
such as adipic acid and polyamide 6 and 66, to engineering plastics, and man-made
fibres.
RadiciGroup’s products are exported all over the world, and are the starting-point for
developments in the clothing, sport, furnishings, automotive, electrical/electronic and
appliances sectors.
3,500 employees
1,238 million euros
2011 Turnover
Radici Partecipazioni

3. PA6 PA66 PET-PBT PP-PPE ACRYLIC

4. A World-wide Presence
EUROPE
Mendrisio (CH)
Stabio (CH)
Podborany (CZ)
Overath (D)
Hamburg (D)
Lüneburg (D)
Reutlingen (D)
Tröglitz (D)
Viernheim (D)
Selbitz (D)
La Carolina (ES)
Saint Priest (F)
Szentgotthard (H)
Andalo Valtellino (IT)
Ardesio (IT)
Casnigo (IT) AMERICA ASIA
Chignolo d’Isola (IT)
Gandino (IT) Buenos Aires (RA) Noida (IND)
Novara (IT) Rio Grande (RA) Shanghai (CN)
Trivero (IT) Araçariguama (BR) Suzhou (CN)
Villa d’Ogna (IT) São José dos Campos
Savinesti (RO) (BR)
London (UK) Gastonia (USA)
Wadsworth (USA)

5. Sustainability According to RadiciGroup
1) Organizational Models ISO 9000, ISO 14000, OHSAS 18000, SA 8000,
ISO 50001, ISO 14064.
2) Certifications (mandatory and voluntary) along with R&D efforts
• REACH
• LCA applied to all main products.
• Eco-Profiles, EPDs, Ecolabel, Oekotex
3) Kyoto protocol parameters : 20/20/20 +20% recycled materials.
4) Sustainability as an approach to corporate governance, an approach based on GRI
Global Reporting Initiative protocol.

6. What does it mean to be a manufacturer of sustainable yarn ?
Making yarns that customers want using eco-sustainable polymers and processes
RadiciGroup’s goal is to build a portfolio of sustainable products with the same
flexibility and properties as standard ones.
In pursuing this target, we have worked on many aspects of production technology
and product development, including:
• Support documentation
• Base polymers
• Production flexibility
• Product range
• Solution dyeing and additivation
We want to give our customers the opportunity to start their projects with yarns to
meet their design objectives already on hand.

7. Recycled Polyester Brand
It’s a continuous polyester filaments yarn
made with 100 %
Recycled PET from bottle.
With this brand we sell POY and FDY products
Friction text – Air text - Warping
Once the POY yarn is transformed, the final
product becomes r-Radyarn

8. Why is r-Starlight different ?
Certifications Product range Flexibility
Certificates Wide product range Meeting customer
guaranteeing product encompassing all demand in terms of
origin and safety are conceivable quantity and product
available combinations of type
colours and
performance
characteristics

9. Why is r-Starlight different ?
Certifications
GRI ( Global Reporting Initiative )
In 2011 RadiciGroup decided to certify its system according to the Global Reporting
Initiative, an internationally recognized sustainability reporting system that has
already been adopted by the major brand names in the apparel industry, such as
Adidas, Nike, Puma, Timberland and The North Face
LCA ( Life Cycle Assessment )
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for both r-Starlight and r-Radyarn products was
performed with the aid of an external organization
Product certification : 100 % post-consumer PET
The production cycle is monitored by DNV, a leading certification body, which checks
that all the products sold with a “recycled” label have actually been made in
compliance with applicable standards and guarantees that 100%
post-consumer polymer has been used

10. LCA ( Life Cycle Assessment )
Standard PET
GER Gross Energy Requirement
72 MJ eq 134,4 MJ eq
… more than 40 % reduction
GWP Global Warming Potetial
3,5 CO2 eq 5,3 CO2 eq
… more than 30 % reduction
Data Source : RadiciGroup LCA Study conducted by ICA - 2012

11. Audit Certification Process
Purchase request
100% post consumer Declare to
Recycled PET chips DNV
Spinning Spinning
100% R-PET 100 % R-PET
r-Starlight r-Starlight
FDY type POY
Declare to DNV per Material
Balanced
month
Check
DNV product
Customers certification

12. Why is r-Starlight different ?
Certifications
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
All r-Starlight and r-Radyarn polymers are OEKO-Tex certified as free of substances
harmful to the health
REACH
All substances used, including colours and additives, comply with REACH safety
regulations
European product
In order to better achieve a low LCA value, all the recycled polymer is made from
bottles collected in Europe. We are already working on further improving the system
by reducing the distance between the collection site and the place where the polymer
is transformed firstly into granules and then into yarn

13. Why is r-Starlight different ?
Product range
Product type
Our recycled yarn is available in : POY, FDY, DTY, ATY, Twisted, Beams. As luster we can
produce full-dull, semi-dull, bright with different cross section like round, trilobal,
octolobal, hollow, multi channel
Count
We have a complete range of count from final 22 to 600 dtex as POY and FDY
and from 22 up to 2500 dtex as ATY, DTY combined with twisted
Colors and additives
To colour our yarn, we use solution dyeing, and we have thousands of colours
available, which have been developed to meet customer needs.
During extrusion we can add other functions, beside colour, such as antibacterial
action or UV resistance, in any combination

14. Solution Dyeing Technology
• Dyestuff and additive embedded
within the filaments
• Maximum color fastness
• Color reproducibility guaranteed
• Reduced consumption of water and
energy compared to traditional dyeing
systems.

15. Why is r-Starlight different ?
Flexibility
Fit the customer specifications
The yarn is produced according to customer specifications on count, lustre, colour and
additional functionalities. There is no standard product, as each yarn is developed to
give the customer the opportunity to create items based on a set of specific needs.
Quantity
The flexibility of our plant allows for a minimum quantity of only 200 kg for each
product/colour. This minimal amount facilitates using the yarn for new projects or
niche markets.
Color matching
Customers can ask us to develop solution-dyed yarn using their own colours. A sample
of the requested colour, already consisting of the final yarn type, will be sent to the
customer, so that on approval it can be implemented immediately in production
without introducing any new variables

16. r-Starlight in sportswear socks
In collaboration with Intersocks Srl, we have
designed and manufactured special running
socks using r-Radyarn.
For this product, we use either black or optical
white dtex 78/66 DTY solution-dyed yarn,
together with an additive providing
bacteriostatic action.
Solution dyeing has allowed us to achieve
optimal washing fastness equal to 5 on the
grey scale for both colours after 200 washes.
Mass additivation of antibacterial agents
helps to eliminate bacteria from the yarn,
while keeping yarn performance unchanged
up to 200 washes at 65°C

17. r-Starlight in sportswear
Presented at ISPO 2012 this zip longsleeve,
made in collaboration with Heiq, Youngone
and Mapp, combines the sustainability of
r-Starlight and the natural touch of merino
wool.
Outside a yarn r-Starlight dtex 78f66 DTY FT
dope dyed grey with embedded bacteristatic
effect. Good performance in terms of odor
control, color fastness, low pilling, good
transpiration and nice touch.
Inside pure merino wool to keep the body at
the perfect temperature during winter.
A perfect project to join the technology and
the sustainability of recycled polyester with
natural fibers.

18. r-Starlight technical application
In collaboration with Diatex fabrics for
filtration aeraulics was made with r-Radyarn
The yarn used is a dtex 78f24 DTY FTF
The eco characteristic of this fabric can be
used in buildings with low environmental
impact, thus satisfying all the demands of the
market for new standard with recycled
materials

19. Why PLA ?
A real alternative coming from renewable resource and not from oil
RadiciGroup started working on this polymer in 2001 and has developed a large
variety of products since then.
Using this product, it is possible to manufacture yarn that combines standard textile
characteristics with the use of renewable resources.
Today PLA polymer is produced not only from corn, but also from a variety of other
products such as sugar cane, beets, wheat, and, in the future, agricultural waste. The
corn used is less than 0.1% of total corn production and thus it has no effect on the
food chain. ( Source NatureWorks LLC)
We believe that PLA has excellent potential in the textile industry because it is both a
green product and a compostable one.
Thanks to our know-how and production flexibility, PLA has become a versatile
material for any textile application..

20. PLA ( polylactic acid ) Brand
It’s a continuous PLA filaments yarn made
with PLA polymer.
With this brand we sell POY and FDY products
Friction text – Air text - Warping
Once the POY yarn is transformed, the final
product becomes Radyarn CornLeaf

21. CornLeaf : key points
Tenacity Between 3 and 4 cN/dtex
Elongation Between 22 and 38 %
Shirkage ( 100°C x 2 min ) Between 3 and 9 %
The difference in the values depends on the process: DTY, ATY, FDY or Twisted
Specific weight - 10 % compare to PET
FR properties LOI >26, does not release toxic fumes
Certification OEKO-TEX standard 100
Physical characteristics The yarn’s physical characteristics over time are
over time guaranteed both on yarn and finished fabrics.
No influence due to humidity on yarn performance
(Guideline has to be followed)

22. Yarn’s physical characteristics over time
Studies were conducted over a 3-year period to determine any changes occurring in
the yarn’s physical characteristics over time

23. CornLeaf : available products
Type POY, DTY, ATY, FDY, Twisted
Luster Bright, Semi Dull, Full Dull
Count From 50 to 300 dtex for POY,FDY and up to 2000 dtex for DTY,
ATY and twisted
DPF From 1,6 to 7 dtex/filament
Colors Because of the high temperatures involved, the use of a
yarn or piece dyeing process tends to cause deterioration
in the mechanical properties of the yarn, and
consequently solution dyeing is recommended. Hundreds
of colours are available and we can create recipes for
customized colours on customer request
Quantity 200 kg min for each product/color

24. Example of use
Dornbirn Conference bag
Yarn used :
-Warp : DTY dtex 200f48 x 2 DTY FTF intermingled
- Weft: ATY dtex 480f96
The fabric of this bag has inside all technologies to a be an
alternative to the standard PET or PP bags.
Renewable polymer, solution dyeing process without
water and chemicals harmful to the health.
Adding a bacteriostatic performance is possible
Shopping bags for food can be made adding bacteriostatic
proprieties. This permits to have an heavy, safe place
where to put food avoid any contact with bacteria.

25. Environmental impact
comparison between
textile shopping bags :
Cornleaf Std PET
consumption for unit.
bag dimension cm 37 X 27 X 6 37 X 27 X 6
bag weight gr 85 85
water lt 6 15
emission (GWP CO2
eq)
Kg 0,6 1,1
Energy (GER Mjeq) MJ 14 22
oekotex standard
-- YES possible
100 (CLASS1 certificate)
bacteriostatic
activity
-- possible possible
recycling -- possible possible
biodegradability time
compost – days 90 unknow
ISO14855
biodegradability time
soil – ISO17556
years 1 100-1000

26. Example of use
Sustainable office
In this building more than 1400 roller curtains are made with CornLeaf yarn, based on
dtex 167f48.
CornLeaf fits perfectly the idea of the building, made using sustainable products and
energy.

27. Example of use
Embroidery fabrics intimate wear
Yarn used :
-Dtex 120x2 FDY twisted Dope Dyed
with bacteristatic effect
In collaboration with our partner
Ritex Spa, we have created a lace
fabric for intimatewear, 100% made
from CornLeaf.
Intimatewear items made with this
product ensure that the skin touches
an anallergic, bacteriostatic yarn with
a soft hand.

28. Key points to remember for r-Starlight and CornLeaf
r-Starlight
• low LCA value
• Safe and certified 100 % post consumer PET from bottle
CornLeaf
• yarn form renewable resources, it’s not made from oil
• compostable materials
For both yarns
• Wide product range
• Minimum lot of 200 kg for each product/color
• Solution (Dope) Dyeing process to save water
• Sustainable approach for all process/product ( GRI)

29. Thank you
to contact us
roberto.parenzan@radicigroup.com
petyarn.fibres@radicigroup.com